Sunday, September 25, 2011

From the Captain

An update - it's raining. I spent a couple of days on the hook off a
small island and generally poking around. I think I got the fuel system
working properly now and some fixes in mind. I
moved back to the harbour to catch a talk Tuesday night and tonite,
Thursday there's a film on regarding the impact of intense US culture
invasion on one island they set up works on. Should be interesting.
I've lined up a couple of dives with a local dive charter operator for
Saturday.

It was funny in that I couldn't get any info on where they
dive and what they see from the front office people but I wandered down
the dock at the end of the day with a tank that needed a new O ring and
filling and spent an hour or so chatting with the owner / operator while
giving him a hand fixing and outboard. So, Saturday's dive is set up,
the tank is fixed and filled and a lot of info exchanged.

The talk on Tuesday by the Tongan man basically said people were better
off 30 years ago before "development" took a major hold. Part of that
stems from the fact that there was some local industry and export
agriculture that is largely been killed by over production in the
developed world. So 30 years ago, Tonga paid it's way with a positive
trade balance. Today, "remittances" keep it afloat - Tongans that have
moved away but send money to family here.

This paired up with the Dutch
chap who operates the dive business. Basically, it runs 3 to 4 months
which is just enough to pay the bills but doesn't get ahead so he work
"at home (Europe)" for part of the year. He's been doing this for
nearly 20 years and his comment is basically that every year he comes
back and things are more run down. Businesses change hands as "palangi"
(foreigners) come to make their fortune and leave discouraged and
broke.

It's a tough place to work, despite being very beautiful. The
local people are caught in a cycle of change they are trying to manage,
while the industry and life styles change. Similarly to Nuie where the
population has gone from 20 or 30 000 to the current 1700 and dropping.
Beautiful place, but doesn't fit the western capitalistic model that is
sweeping the planet. Until we take into account values in the
eoconmic model that aren't and can't be evaluated in dollars we are
doomed both at a personal and national level. Indeed, the international
level.

To some exent, we, the family have done that. For example
you're in Vernon because it has values (not big city, good access to
lakes and hills etc, and ski facilities) that balance for you the fact
that you could make more $ in Calgary or Vancouver. Granted your living
costs would be higher. So, you're taking into account a 'happiness
index' as well as the cash values - which is good. Mom and I did the
same to live in Nanaimo, and here I am "wasting" my most lucrative
working years bobbing around in a boat!